My dog just munched on this plant, growing on treebed in Chicago

Hello Master Gardeners! I, too, am a master gardener (Purdue course), and I just revived an old YouTube channel I started years ago. I would love advice from real world skilled gardeners.

Here’s my most recent video. It’s only a minute long. https://youtube.com/shorts/fvyuVdAp8nQ?si=lK3-bbbpm3Jgx4jD

If you wouldn’t mind critiquing any part of the video it would be so appreciated.

And a follow-up question: What is your favorite YouTube plant or gardening channel? And what specifically about your favorite channel makes you like it?

Thanks so much!

The Virginia Cooperative Extension updated their book this year. This is what they use to teach Master Gardeners in the state of Virginia. It is available for free here or it is available for purchase here.

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a design science for creating sustainable human habitats. It is based on the principles of ecology, and it seeks to create systems that are productive, resilient, and beneficial to both people and the environment.

Permaculture can be applied to a wide range of scales, from small backyard gardens to large-scale farms and communities. It can be used to grow food, manage water resources, create energy systems, and build structures.

Why Permaculture Should Be Used in Master Gardener Classes

There are many reasons why permaculture should be used in Master Gardener classes. First, permaculture is a holistic approach to gardening that takes into account the entire system, rather than just individual plants or animals. This makes it a more sustainable and productive way to garden.

Second, permaculture is a design-based approach to gardening. This means that Master Gardeners can learn how to create systems that are tailored to the specific needs of their individual gardens. This can help them to be more successful in their gardening efforts.

Third, permaculture is a systems-thinking approach to gardening. This means that Master Gardeners can learn how to think about their gardens in terms of the interactions between different elements, such as plants, animals, and the environment. This can help them to create more resilient and productive gardens.

Fourth, permaculture is a community-based approach to gardening. This means that Master Gardeners can learn how to work with others to create sustainable and productive gardens. This can help to build stronger communities and create a more sustainable future.

How Permaculture Can Be Taught in Master Gardener Classes

Permaculture can be taught in Master Gardener classes in a variety of ways. One way is to teach the basic principles of permaculture, such as the ethics of permaculture, the design principles of permaculture, and the elements of permaculture design.

Another way to teach permaculture is to teach specific permaculture techniques, such as how to create a food forest, how to design a water harvesting system, or how to build a cob house.

Master Gardeners can also learn about permaculture by visiting permaculture farms and gardens, reading permaculture books and articles, and attending permaculture workshops and conferences.

The Benefits of Teaching Permaculture in Master Gardener Classes

There are many benefits to teaching permaculture in Master Gardener classes. First, it can help to educate Master Gardeners about a more sustainable and productive way to garden.

Second, it can help Master Gardeners to be more successful in their gardening efforts.

Third, it can help Master Gardeners to think about their gardens in terms of the interactions between different elements, such as plants, animals, and the environment.

Fourth, it can help Master Gardeners to work with others to create sustainable and productive gardens.

Fifth, it can help to build stronger communities and create a more sustainable future.

Conclusion

Permaculture is a valuable tool that can be used to create sustainable and productive gardens. It is a holistic, design-based, systems-thinking, and community-based approach to gardening that can help Master Gardeners to be more successful in their gardening efforts. Permaculture can be taught in Master Gardener classes in a variety of ways, and there are many benefits to doing so.

I hope this essay has convinced you of the importance of teaching permaculture in Master Gardener classes. If you are a Master Gardener, I encourage you to learn more about permaculture and incorporate it into your gardening practices. If you are not a Master Gardener, I encourage you to find a Master Gardener in your area and learn more about permaculture from them.

Zone 5b - Looking for help. I am a novice gardener. I try to plant native, beneficial plantings for birds and pollinators in our suburban Illinois backyard. When we moved into our home 17 years ago, one of the first landscaping projects we did was to plant 10 Blue Muffin Viburnums along the property line on either side of our yard for privacy hedge that would also attract and feed cardinals. Despite getting loads of flowers in May and June, I have never once seen a berry so today I Googled it and was shocked to find out that it needs to cross pollinate with another viburnum cultivar (such as Chicago Lustre, Autumn Jazz or Northern Burgundy). I always thought I missed them somehow and now I'm devastated that we have wasted 17 years. I want to fix this asap. Our backyard is on the east side of our house and after noon, the 20 feet closest to the house is full shade but the rest of the yard is full sun for the entire day. What cultivar do you recommend from the 3 above or even another one that you think would be better. And, how many do I need ensure the cross pollination of the 10 mature Blue Muffin's and how close do they need to be? Lastly, my viburnum are flowering right now. If I buy the new viburnum this weekend and just put them around the yard in their nursery pots, will the cross-pollination occur naturally in time for berries this year or should I do anything to help it along? Thank you!

I've been looking for a master gardener program that focuses more on food production than a pretty lawn. And I want it to be online, so I can take it at my own pace. Does anyone know of anything like that? Ideally, it would also be organic, so I don't have to do the guesswork on translating conventional methods to organic.

I'm a hopeful homesteader with a big problem - huge, scary thickets of himalayan blackberry encroaching upon my garden from the edges, in. I've had tarps and cardboard layed out all summer to help kill anything in more of the centre of the garden, and worked in the spring to cut most of the canes down, but now they're all back with vigor. The edges are really really bad and beyond what I believe I'd be able to control through digging out roots.

I have been researching chemical control methods, and have determined I should cut everything down to the base and apply herbicide to the cut stumps.

As I live in Canada, my options for herbicides are limited (mostly glyphosate based products that I don't feel comfortable using in a garden where I'll be growing food). So I'm looking for suggestions - does anyone here know of "less toxic" or less environmentally persistent herbicides I could use to effectively kill Himilayan blackberries (applied by painting the stumps) - that are available in Canada?

My hope is to do this during the next few weeks and then lay the garden to rest over the winter so that it's ok to plant in the spring

Sorry if this isn’t the right place to post this. I was just wondering if anybody has a suggestion for effective technique(s)/product(s) for controlling mosquito populations that aren’t harmful to the environment or other organisms aside from mosquitoes. There’s a huge amount of mosquitoes on my block. We have been on the lookout for standing water outside in our shared courtyard and are at the point where there are no longer any visible places where water can collect after rain, yet there are still so many mosquitoes all the time.

https://dengarden.com/gardening/How-to-Care-for-Dependable-Disease-Resistant-Carefree-Day-Lilies

Hi all, I have an Autumn Brilliance serviceberry tree that we put in a few years ago (it was a pretty large 10’ or so tree with roughly a 2.5” trunk when we bought it). It has looked like it’s been flourishing; Good foliage and great flowers this year. I noticed last year that about half the berries were infected with rust and this year it looks like every single one. What is the best way to try to combat this? I read a little about fungicides but there are so many types and I would need a recommendation to feel comfortable using any type. I was hoping this would provide food for birds and while it still looks nice no bird is going to touch those berries. I’m also not sure if this issue is eventually going to weaken and kill the tree. Thanks for any advice you can provide!

Training starts in January, I'm so excited